Bubbles and Carnations
by C.D.Meiss
Summary: Marluxia has a friendly conversation with a fellow member, which leads to interesting developments for them both. MarluxiaxOC. Hinted past one-sided OCxAxel.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This is for my friend setosora77, based off an RP conversation we had. Their Nobody OC is Anarixa, and she has blue hair and red eyes. Mine is Selixoe. Green hair/eyes. Yup. Here it is.

Disclaimer: All Kingdom Hearts characters belong to Square Enix and Disney. Anarixa is the property of setosora77.

Bubbles and Carnations

Part One

Marluxia was very curious. Very curious indeed. He had been in the library at the Castle That Never Was, texting the newest member, Anarixa. Such was the situation that aroused his curiosity.

The fiendish, fickle cellular devices had been stolen by Demyx, who had been insisting for some time that they ought to have the things for easier communications between the members.

XI was one of the few that actually used them.

Not even IX himself used one.

Regardless, Anarixa and Marluxia regularly contacted one another with this phenomenon.

At first, they had been talking about why she was locked in the Nocturne's closet (which he still hadn't found out the reason for), but he'd soon threatened the water-oriented Nobody with demoting him to a bathroom-cleaning duty for the week if she was not released.

Demyx had quite a speedy reaction time to this, surprisingly.

Fifteen was now sitting on the couch across from him, and they were currently speaking about a completely different topic.

The blue-haired Nobody gave a frustrated sigh. "I'm just done. I can't take this anymore. I'm never going to find love here."

Marluxia gazed sympathetically towards her. "What's there to do, darling? No one will love us but ourselves." He brushed a few locks of hair over his shoulder. "Now, refresh my memories; I thought you had taken a fancy to Demyx?"

He wasn't entirely sure, but this seemed to be true. She'd turned her attentions to almost all of the male members at one point or another.

She scowled. Wrong thing to say. "I did at one time, but he never took any of the hints. And then there was the Xigbar fiasco and the Luxord one, and then you. I just…" She dropped her shoulders. "I give up."

Marluxia pondered this, nodding his head. Demyx was an oblivious idiot. And Xigbar and Luxord weren't really her type, if he was any judge. But she had liked _him_, also?

Marluxia himself had always found her attractive and sweet, a wonderful change from the mean sharpness of Larxene and the…risky and brazen fearlessness to be found in Selixoe.

Yes, he did remember that she'd tried to be coy and flirty with him, but that was when she was throwing herself at four other men. He'd not responded because he had wondered if she was teasing him.

He realized that the room had fallen silent. "Ah, so many loves. I'm quite flattered that you found me attractive in some way. Had I known this, I'm sure I would have courted you far better than those foolish…boys."

Perfect. She could not find fault in this, he was sure.

"Yeah, but you are as oblivious as they are!"

Her scowl was quite adorable. But it made him feel boorish and stupid to be called oblivious.

He frowned slightly. "My dear, I could not tell whether your affections were genuine because of your frequent displays of amorous intentions towards my comrades." He paused and lowered his voice a little. "I assure you, darling, I was far from oblivious."

She waved her hand flippantly, a motion far too reminiscent of Larxene for Marluxia's taste. "Whatever. It's too late now."

"It is never too late for anything, Anarixa darling," he said softly.

She switched topics on him sporadically, whispering the sentence that came completely out of left field. "We can never get our humanity back."

He blinked in surprise. And suddenly, a reply was spilling out of his mouth, trying to put a positive light on this. "Very true, but we can make do with what we have." His mind told him to stop there, but the void-like cavity in his chest urged him to keep going. "I remember how it was to feel, and I know you do as well, Anarixa."

Why couldn't he call her 'Rixa' like everyone else? Why was he so painfully polite and formal?

The young woman across from him lowered her head and began to fiddle with the zipper at the base of her coat. "The difference between you and me, sir, is that I can actually _feel_ them, the emotions. It seems like I still have a heart…"

That it does, Marluxia admitted to himself. His formality was producing an effect on her, and it seemed to make her feel the need to address him as 'sir'.

He hated it. It made him think that he was some terrible tyrant, lording it over a shy servant. No, that was Superior's job.

The Graceful Assassin desperately wanted to rush to her side and beg her to call him by his name, but once again, his mind's formality over-ruled his non-existent heart's yearning for intimacy.

"Anarixa, I know emotions as well. They are small and are most likely less passionate than yours, but they are present nonetheless."

_StopStopStop! Just leave it at that!_

_No, continue. Nip it in the bud before it blossoms._

The two strains of thought swirled and coalesced in his mind.

The words he produced seemed to come from a long way off.

"I do not believe that you have ever asked if I am capable of feeling, just assumed the opposite…"

He could see the walls that had started to crumble spring back, whole and impenetrable, into her eyes again.

"That's because Superior and everyone else says that the Nobodies can't feel."

Her crimson eyes were hard and cold, a harsh difference from their pleasant—if not slightly melancholy—appearance a moment ago.

It pained Number Eleven greatly to know that he caused the change.

"No," He countered somewhat desperately, "He does not _allow_ us to."

Number Fifteen let this idea sink in. "Oh…"

Marluxia tried to cheer her up, giving her a small, quiet smile. "So, do not be so despondent, darling. I, unlike the other buffoons in this organization, know how you feel."

She giggled and offered out a small smile of her own. "Thank you."

Her change of mood made Marluxia's chest swell with pride.

"My pleasure, darling."

She smiled wider at the pet name, the walls cracking and falling to pieces.

He liked calling her darling. The word formed on his lips slowly but frequently, and rolled off his tongue like rose-water.

"So," he began, smirking a little. "I believe your newly learned lesson is not to be so hard on Number Eight, yes?"

She had been terribly distraught and angry over the fact that the Flurry did not return her most earnest affections. The young man had tried to ease the pain by telling her a…_half-truth_. When she discovered that he was trying to progress the relationship between Selixoe and himself after he had insisted that he held no such feelings for anyone, she was upset.

Very upset, to say the least.

Nodding vigorously, she replied, "Yes, sir!" in a bubbly tone.

Hm. There was that 'sir' problem again. He couldn't stand it anymore and immediately decided to do away with it for good.

"No need for that now, Anarixa. You've known me long enough."

He desperately hoped she knew what he meant.

Cocking her head slightly to the left, something Namine was wont to do, she said doubtfully, "But…it's respectful."

That was far too cute for him to argue with, but he insisted. "I wish for you to call me by my name."

She nodded, her pale (yet slightly flushed) face clearing once more. "Alright, Marluxia."

Yes, much better. _So _much better. The way she hesitantly tested out the word sent a warm chill down his spine.

"Very good, darling. Now, if you'll please pardon my rudeness, I am expected to discuss some things with the Superior." He smiled and offered her a hand after he stood.

"No, that's okay, really! I should go spar with Demyx anyway." She grinned and happily placed her petite hand in his as he escorted her out of the library.

"Of course. I will speak with you further later, Anarixa."

With a last glance, they both turned and started off down opposite hallways, both feeling…well, simply _feeling_, because of the other.

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**A/N: **Thank you for reading. If I get a few reviews I might upload part dos. :)  
_C.D.M._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Here's the second part. I decided to just upload it now, just for kicks.

* * *

Part Two

In the steel-and-glass greenhouse, Marluxia smiled to himself as the potted camellia before him straightened, and the blossoms slowly turned to face him.

This camellia was one of his favourite flowering shrubs, especially the flowers themselves. When in bud, the outer leaflets were stiff and nigh impenetrable, but with time and affection, the petals revealed were delicately perfumed, fragile, and easily bruised.

This particular plant specimen was shy, but extremely trusting once it fell under Marluxia's care.

It reminded him of someone he knew.

A few minutes previous, the rose-locked man had heard someone enter the greenhouse. Only now, after giving the precious camellia his undivided attention, did he turn to acknowledge the person's presence.

Expecting Zexion—who often visited him in the glass room—or the Superior, he was a little surprised (not to mention pleased) to find Anarixa admiring a cluster of new, white daffodils.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" He asked as he approached her.

Looking up with a light smile, she nodded. "Mm. Very."

_Well, she seems to be in a much better mood than yesterday, _Marluxia thought to himself.

"You seem to be feeling better, darling."

"Yes, I am! Thank you for noticing."

He definitely enjoyed her presence much more when she smiled. Frowns did not quite suit her features, and the gloomy aura that accompanied them dimmed the otherwise contented nature of her surroundings.

Moving to tend to a sickly red hibiscus that was afflicted with aphids—but still in a position to talk with Fifteen—Marluxia inclined his head towards her. "Not a problem…and it's good to see you smile."

This remark elicited the very subject to form upon her countenance.

"Now, I assume that Xigbar has told you of Axel's ever-present melancholy?" He hated to ask, but Eleven needed confirmation of the rumor.

Anarixa's whole demeanor frosted over, something Marluxia knew would happen. "Yeah…I feel kinda bad about that now…"

Marluxia waved his hand at her to dispel her worries. "Oh, don't darling. He'll get over himself quite quickly. Besides, Luxord and Selixoe are taking him out for a drink tonight."

"Oh…okay."

He smiled a little at her and turned to his hibiscus. In all honesty, he too felt a tad bit of empathy for the pyrokinetic. The wrath and anguish that Rixa had unleashed upon the young man was enough to make anyone depressed. Among other things mentioned in her rage, she had promised never to speak to Axel again, nor be friends with him any longer.

Eight had never wanted that. Just because he didn't fancy her romantically, this did not mean he didn't want to remain friends.

She would not listen.

As a result, Axel had taken up a remorseful, glum manner akin to Zexion, and was only just beginning to snap out of it.

But now, Marluxia had another inquiry rolling around his mind, one that had only surfaced after his first long talk with Number Fifteen in the library.

He stroked the petals of a crimson blossom, alternately trying to cheer it up and sort out his words.

Finally, he turned to face Anarixa, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"Erm, Anarixa, I was wondering…"

He trailed off as she looked up from the passionflower vine she'd been examining.

"Yes? And you are allowed to call me 'Rixa', you know." Her ruby eyes were wide and gentle, the atmosphere of the calm and fragrant greenhouse clearly having a positive effect on her.

Meeting her soft gaze was making Marluxia's strong will waver. He still had a chance to divert the conversation to something completely harmless, but then again he would never forgive himself if he did.

He took a deep breath to steady himself, a subtle blush beginning to creep up his neck. "Well, Rixa, I am quite curious—and have been for some time—if you might like to go on a date with me?"

Now that he had finally gotten the sentence past his tongue, Marluxia found he suddenly couldn't stop the flow of words. "If you don't, I completely understand. This is awfully sudden, especially after the entire fiasco with Eight, but if you _would _like to…"

It was official. He was an absolute bumbling, tongue-tied, flustered-over-a-girl _fool_. His face was now very red, but not unattractively so.

Anarixa found his uncharacteristic ramble adorably sweet.

She took a step closer to him, gazing down at the stone floor and busying her hands with a stray blossom she'd found on the table. When she looked up, a blush had formed on her cheeks also.

"Um, actually, I was kind of hoping you would ask."

Marluxia nearly melted into a small rose-scented puddle at the smile and the answer she offered him.

A wonderfully gleeful smile broke out on his face, his dark blue eyes glinting. "Fantastic! I'm glad I could oblige you."

He took her hand in both of his and kissed it. If he had possessed a heart, it would have been beating wildly with joy. "Rixa, I have not felt so happy in a very long while as I do now."

Returning his previously said words, she smiled and replied, "Well, I'm happy I could oblige you."

She reached up and gently brushed a strand of rose-hued hair from his face before softly kissing his cheek.

Marluxia felt that no words could express what he imagined he was feeling at the moment, so he wordlessly turned and plucked up a few of the flowers Fifteen had passed by earlier and carefully placed them into her grasp.

Smiling softly, Rixa breathed in their delicate fragrance.

"Thanks, Marluxia. I love carnations."

The End

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**A/N: **As I read over this, I realized that it doesn't really coincide with the games' descriptions of the Nobodies, about their hearts and emotions and things like that. I have my own theories about these things, and they kind of came to the surface in this two-shot. Would it really be possible (even in the tiniest amount) for Marluxia and Anarixa to even have a semblance of emotions, such as are exhibited in this piece? I'd like to think so...

But I digress. Anyway! I'm very pleased with how this turned out! I hope you enjoyed reading it, and if you did, please review. They make me smile.  
_C.D.M._


End file.
